Early microbiology
Ancient cultures and civilizations had no idea that microbes existed but they didcomprehend some of their important effects. For example:
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Ancient Egyptians were among the earliest peoples to use fermentation to brewtheir own beer.
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The Romans liked to have good sanitation and prized clean drinking water.
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Ancient Chinese immunized people against smallpox by having them inhaledried, powdered scabs from those suffering from a mild form of the disease.
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Many traditional cultures have also recognized and used plants as remedies for certain diseases. For example, South Americans recognized the usefulness of extracts Cinchona tree (containing quinine) to treat malaria. The importance of traditional healers is being rediscovered by the West and has contributed to thefield of ethnobotany.
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Many cultures recognized the communicability of certain diseases. Unfortunately,this recognition led to fear of and discrimination against sick people. These fearsstill persist today.
A Brief History of Microbiology
Development of microscopy:
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Aristotle(384-322) and others believed that livingorganisms could develop from non-livingmaterials.
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1660:Robert Hooke(1635-1703) published"Micrographia", containing drawings and detailedobservations of biological materials made withthe best compound microscope and illuminationsystem of the time.
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1883:Carl Zeiss and Ernst Abbepioneereddevelopments in microscopy (such as immersionlenses and apochromatic lenses which reducechromatic aberration) which perist until thepresent day.
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1931:Ernst Ruskaconstructed the first electronmicroscope.
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